Reaction game apparatus

ABSTRACT

An action game apparatus having a board with a playing surface and a game element suspended above the surface by taut, substantially horizontal filaments releasably anchored at the board periphery and tending to pull the game element. On a given signal each player tries to be the first to release his filament thus causing the game element to move away from him and drop to the board surface. The game element is a magnet and the board surface is of magnetic material to hold the game element, when engaged, from sliding across the playing surface which has scoring indicia and markings thereon. In one embodiment the filaments are resilient to provide the motive force to move the game element and in a second embodiment the motive force is provided by magnetic attraction between the game element and a ring magnet encircling the central area of the board.

United States Paten Winey et al.

[ 1 May 9, 1972 [s41 REACTION GAME APPARATUS "llli Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant E.raminer-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Williamson, Palmatier & Bains, George F. Williamson, l l. Dale Palmatier and Herman l-l. Bains [5 7] ABSTRACT An action game apparatus having a board with a playing surface and a game element suspended above the surface by taut. substantially horizontal filaments releasably anchored at the board periphery and tending to pull the game element. On a given signal each player tries to be the first to release his filament thus causing the game element to move away from him and drop to the board surface. The game element is a magnet and the board surface is of magnetic material to hold the game element, when engaged, from sliding across the playing surface which has scoring indicia and markings thereon. In one embodiment the filaments are resilient to provide the motive force to move the game element and in a second embodiment the motive force is provided by magnetic attraction between the game element and a ring magnet encircling the central area of the board,

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMM 9 I912 3,661,387

SHEET 1 [1F 2 12 VENTOP. W// f1] $44455 W/A/EA BY KARENL. WINEY r155 @mzz PATENTEDMAY 9 1972 SHEET 2 OF 2 FIE6 MM RW m E P\ W WM S M 55 M M REACTION GAME APPARATUS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The action game apparatus includes a board with a playing surface of magnetic material and a game element comprising a magnet. The game element is suspended above the playing surface by taut, substantially horizontal filaments extending radially in multiple directions so as to balance the horizontal forces applied against the game element and hold the game element in a starting position. The filaments are arranged or constructed such as to provide a somewhat continuing force on the game element in a horizontal direction even though the game element is allowed to move due to the release of one or more of the filaments. In the preferred form, the filaments for holding the game element are constructed of resilient material, such as rubber bands.

The filaments are connected, by releasable anchors, to the board periphery to retain the game element against horizontal movement. Upon a predetermined signal, the players will all attempt to release the anchors quickly so as to avoid movement of the game element in an undesired direction.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the game apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a detail section view taken at 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the game apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a second modified form of the game apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 3, the game apparatus comprises a playing board, indicated in general by numeral 10, and having a rigid base or backing 11 which may be constructed of wood or fibrous composition board, or may be injection molded of a generally rigid plastic material such as polystyrene. The game board has a ferrous metal plate 12 overlying and affixed to the base 11. The top surface of the metal plate 12 is decoratively painted and has scoring indicia 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3 thereon. Of course, suitably scoring values may be applied to the indicia markings on the face of the board.

The game also includes a game element 14 which, in this particular form of the invention, is a permanent magnet in the form of a wafer or disc, and the magnetized game element 14 is magnetized in a direction through its thinnest dimension so that when the magnet lights upon the metal plate 12, the cooperative effect between the magnet 14 and the plate 12 is to retain the magnet or game element 14 in the exact location at which the game element 14 first strikes or lights upon the plate 12.

The game element 14 has a plurality of supporting filaments 15.1, 15.2 and 15.3 permanently affixed thereto. In this particular form of the invention, the filaments 15.1, 15.2, and 15.3, are constructed of resiliently stretchable material such as bands of rubber, and are of such a length that the filaments will be in a stretched condition when extended to the periphery of the board from the game element which is at the center of the board.

The board is provided with a plurality of anchors 16.1, 16.2, and 16.3, which are all identical to each other and which serve to releasably hold or anchor the outer ends of the filaments at a position spaced above the plate 12 so as to suspend the game element 14 at the center of the board and spaced upwardly from the playing surface thereof. All of the anchors are substantially identical to each other and one of them is illustrated in FIG. 3. An elevated block 17 mounts the clip 18 which is pivotally mounted on the upstanding cars 19 and a pivot rod 20. The jaw end 18.1 of the clip is urged downwardly against the block 17 to clamp the end of the filament, and tension is applied against the clip by means of a coil spring 21 on the pivot rod 20.

When the action game is prepared for play as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, balanced forces are urging the game element 14 in different directions so that the game element is held stationary over the center of the board. Individually, each of the filaments tends to move the game element toward its respective anchor, but if only one of the filaments is released, the other two filaments cooperatively move the game element in a generally predictable direction, away from the anchor of the filament that has been released.

Upon a given signal, the three players, each at a respective anchor, will attempt to release the corresponding filament inv stantly after the signal. Whenever any one of the filaments is released, or if two or all of the filaments are released, the game element 14 will drop to the playing surface and the magnetic attraction between the game element 14 and the ferrous metal plate 12 will retain the game element in a fixed position, where it initially lit upon the plate.

It will be noted that the scoring indicia 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 is formed in lines constituting arcs struck about the several anchors. In this particular way that the game is set up, it is desirable that the game element move away from any particular player, and the'numerical scores will be set on the board face accordingly.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the game board 25 is set up for two players and is provided with a magnetic game element 26 and a board face 27 of magnetic material and having the scoring indicia 28 thereon. Rubber filaments 29 are attached to the game element and are secured by anchors 30 and 31 in a manner substantially identical to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 3. This adaptation of the action game illustrated in FIG. 4 is principally for two players, each attempting to release the filament by operating the releasable anchor first after a given signal.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the same general game board 50 is provided and a game element 51 is suspended on filaments 52 which are supported from anchors 53 at the periphery of the board game. This form of the invention is illustrative of the manner in which the game apparatus can be set up for playing by four players. Additionally, in this form of the game apparatus, an annular or ring-shaped magnet 54 is embedded into the game board so as to cooperate with the magnetic game element 51 and thereby provides the motive power for the game element 51, even though resilience in the filaments 52 is eliminated. When the filaments are released, the game element will move horizontally and downwardly to the ring-shaped magnet to provide a score for the players as hereinbefore described.

It may be desirable, as in the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, to cover the top playing surface of the board with a flock material while simultaneously providing the similar covering and the bottom of the game element 51, thereby causing the game element to adhere to the top face of the game board and prevent movement of the game element along or across the face of the board when in engagement therewith.

It will be seen that we have provided a new and novel game apparatus to produce transverse movement'of the game element horizontally across the board face in response to release of the anchoring devices and until the game element engages the board face at which time the game element stops and a score can be obtained.

What we claim is:

1. Game apparatus comprising a game board with a playing surface carrying scoring indicia,

a game element movable over the playing surface and to come to rest on the surface,

means for supporting and moving the game element including at least a pair of taut and substantially horizontal filaments attached to said game element and cooperatively exerting balanced forces against the game element for holding the game element in a stationary position, but individually tending to move the game element horizontally over the surface,

and releasable anchors on said game board and holding said filaments in their taut condition to exert said balanced forces and preventing movement of the game element until release of one or more of the filaments.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said supporting filaments being resiliently stretchable to both support said game element when held by the anchors in their taut condition to exert said balanced forces, and move said game element upon release of one or more of said anchors due to a disturbance of said balanced forces.

3. The invention according to claim 1 and said releasable anchors comprising manually operable spring clips retaining such filaments to hold the game element in a elevated position above the playing surface.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said game element and playing surface both being of magnetic material, one being magnetized, whereby to prevent sliding movement of the game element across the playing surface when in engagement therewith.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said game element and the playing surface being complementary to each other to adhere one to the other against movement of the game element along the surface while in engagement therewith.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 4 and said game element being a magnet and the playing surface of the game board being of ferrous metal.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said game element supporting and moving means includes three filaments, and three separate anchors adjacent the periphery of the game board for releasably holding said filaments.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said game element supporting and moving means including four separate filaments extending from the game element in four separate directions, and four anchors adjacent the periphery of the game board and holding said filaments.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said filaments specifically including anchoring filaments retaining the game element against horizontal movement, said supporting and moving means including in addition to said filaments means acting upon said game element independently of said anchoring filaments and applying motive force thereto for moving the game element over the board when the anchoring filaments are released.

10. The game apparatus according to claim 9 and said anchoring filaments being non-stretchable. 

1. Game apparatus comprising a game board with a playing surface carrying scoring indicia, a game element movable over the playing surface and to come to rest on the surface, means for supporting and moving the game element including at least a pair of taut and substantially horizontal filaments attached to said game element and cooperatively exerting balanced forces against the game element for holding the game element in a stationary position, but individually tending to move the game element horizontally over the surface, and releasable anchors on said game board and holding said filaments in their taut condition to exert said balanced forces and preventing movement of the game element until release of one or more of the filaments.
 2. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said supporting filaments being resiliently stretchable to both support said game element when held by the anchors in their taut condition to exert said balanced forces, and move said game element upon release of one or more of said anchors due to a disturbance of said balanced forces.
 3. The invention according to claim 1 and said releasable anchors comprising manually operable spring clips retaining such filaments to hold the game element in a elevated position above the playing surface.
 4. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said game element and playing surface both being of magnetic material, one being magnetized, whereby to prevent sliding movement of the game element across the playing surface when in engagement therewith.
 5. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said game element and the playing surface being complementary to each other to adhere one to the other against movement of the game element along the surface while in engagement therewith.
 6. The game apparatus according to claim 4 and said game element being a magnet and the playing surface of the game board being of ferrous metal.
 7. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said game element supporting and moving means includes three filaments, and three separate anchors adjacent the periphery of the game board for releasably holding said filaments.
 8. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said game element supporting and moving means including four separate filaments extending from the game element in four separate directions, and four anchors adjacent the periphery of the game board and holding said filaments.
 9. The game apparatus according to claim 1 and said filaments specifically including anchoring filaments retaining the game element against horizontal movement, said supporting and moving means including in addition to said filaments means acting upon said game element independently of said anchoring filaments and applying motive force thereto for moving the game element over the board when the anchoring filaments are released.
 10. The game apparatus according to claim 9 and said anchoring filaments being non-stretchable. 